Here is a video clip of Ted Cruz tossing “red meat” to a group of hungry, rabid supporters. He carefully follows his script, not missing a point, offering up to these reptilian brains everything they want to hear. (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/04/1418371/-Ted-Cruz-Kingwood-Texas-Tea-Party-delusional-speech-in-under-5-minutes) It reminds me of my youth in Baptist revivals with the firebrand evangelist tossing our the appropriate “red meat” for that setting with his approbation coming in the form of “amen’s” and cries of, “Preach on, brother!” In each setting, the crowd goes home basking in the delight of having their prejudices and premises confirmed.

This is an illustration of the echo chamber that we hear from the media so often. And, yes, the “echo chamber” is present with any line of thought…even we damn liberals… who much prefer basking in the self-serving comfort of “smooth words” that the prophet Isaiah warned us against. No one, individual or group, wants to have his/its pre-conceptions brought to the table. We prefer the comfort of this “echo chamber” even to our own detriment rather than be brought to an awareness of our limits which is always very painful. As W. H. Auden put it, “We have made for ourselves a life safer than we can bear.” We prefer to remain embedded in our own thinking.

Anyone ensconced in an ideological comfort zone, fights tooth-and-toenail against being disillusioned. And, of course, all the ugliness that we hide beneath our comfort of being “right” and “noble” is seen to be “out there,” embodied by people who are different than us.

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About literarylew

I am a retired mental health counselor in El Prado, NM near Taos.I have a lovely wife, Claire, and our only children are two lovely dachshunds, Elsa and Ludwig. I have a BA in history/psychology (double major) from Henderson State University and a M. Ed. in counseling from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. I have a passion for literature, religion, philosophy....and, in general, the liberal arts.